Page 2/The Battalion/Thursday August 1, 1985
Brazil's giant leap
Censorship. It puts fear into artists’ hearts and drowns cre
ativity. Some consider it one of the worst crimes a human being
can commit — the murder of ideas.
Many communist and military governments have censored
everything from journalism and communications to art and mu
sic.
One government — Brazil — has finally decided to let its
creative juices flow. Brazilian Justice Minister Fernando Lyra
announced Monday that “Censorship is hereby extinct,” at least
for that country.
For 21 years its military government inhibited authors, film
makers, composers and actors. Between 1979 and 1985, Gen.
Joao Figueiredo held a loose rein on censorship, but freedom of
expression wasn’t guaranteed.
Lyra’s announcement is an important step for the people of
Brazil. Not only will artistic endeavors be unrestricted, but other
vital public services such as newspapers will be unhampered.
The plight of Brazilian artists may seem far removed from
the campus of Texas A&M. But as journalists, we are bothered
by censorship no matter where it occurs.
Anyone who enjoys the privilege of free expression and the
benefits that accompany it should be equally concerned.
Brazil has taken a big step toward the free exchange of ideas
that we already enjoy. We hope Other countries will follow its ex
ample.
The Battalion Editorial Board
Mail Call
Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit
letters for style and length but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must
be signed and must include the address and telephone number of the writer.
Evangelism, nazism
not comparable
EDITOR:
On July 29 and 30 KAMU-FM broad
cast two National Public Radio pro
grams (“Morning Edition” and “All
Things Considered”) which considered
the rise of neo-nazism in the United
States.
vented wisdom, compassion, discipline,
and understanding upon which good
morals and upstanding character are
based! It also says (numerous times) that
only through a relationship with God
through Jesus Christ can one reach his
or her full potential, have the most
abundant life possible and have eternal
life after death.
: JF
In a number of statements the report
ers equated this movement with funda
mental or evangelical Christianity. Such
identification is, at best, irresponsible
reporting suggesting a lack of under
standing of true Christianity.
The choice is clear: we can either
choose to believe what the Bible has to
say or we can reject it. There is no
ground in between.
It is certainly an injustice to those who
are truly fundamental evangelical
Christians for groups such as Posse
Cometas, The Order, The Arian Na
tion, etc. to be associated with the theo
logically conservative church. If you
heard these broadcasts and would like
to express your opinion concerning the
nature of the reporting, I suggest that
you write the editors of the respective
programs.
People wonder why teenage suicide,
drug abuse and divorce are on the rise.
The answer is very simple: we live in a
society which, for the most part, has re
jected God’s word (the Bible) and His
interest in and authority over our lives.
In America of the 1980’s, what is
right today may not be considered right
tomorrow; what was wrong last year is
accepted now because the latest socio
logical belief condones it. How utterly
wrong this is. How confusing it is to
America’s children!
Morning Edition: National Public Ra
dio Attn: Jay Kernis 2025 M Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
In light of this, we applaud the Boy
Scouts on their principle that young
men in their ranks should believe in
God.
All Things Considered: National
Public Radio Attn: Ted Clark 2025 M
Street NW Washington, D.C. 20036
You may also call NPR at (800) 822-
2300 or (202) 822-2323.
Bob DeOtte
Moral character
related to God
EDITOR:
We disagree with your July 23rd edi
torial, “Where does belief in God enter
in?” You state that “The Boy Scouts pre
sents itself as an organization which pro
motes beneficial and moral characteris
tics in boys, not as a group that
advocates certain religious beliefs.”
Message of special
Aggie unraveled
EDITOR:
In contrast to your opinion, we main
tain that moral character is directly re
lated to one’s spiritual beliefs. Indeed,
belief in God has everything to do with
good moral character, true self-confi
dence and leadership.
We need to turn no further than the
Bible to see that God loves us and is in
terested in every detail of our lives — in
cluding how children are raised and the
character qualities He wants them to
take on as they mature.
I am writing you because I was having
trouble understanding why things
turned out as they did. Although I
really tried to figure it out on my own, it
has taken until now, almost two months
later, to see what a very special Aggie
was showing me. I thought it needed to
be shared with someone.
MARGUUES
HOt^TDN fVST
United Feature Syndicate
Are woman’s ‘lot of difficulties’
worth $30 million in damages?
Al
The
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new Ti
which
f and pr
tary an
The
Try to imagine
how much $30
million is. Imagine
how many things
you could buy
with that much
money. The num-
ber of cars,
houses, boats or
planes. Jewels,
furs, college edu
cations — do any
Cheryl
Clark
In your conclusion, you state that
toying with boys’ lives is a rotten way to
prepare America’s leaders of tomor
row.” In contrast, we insist that “the fool
has said in his heart, ’there is no God””
(Psalm 14:1) and that, to prepare to
morrows leaders, we must “train up a
child in the way he should go, even
when he is old he will not depart from
it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
Mike Foarde ’86
Willis Hudson ’83
Gary Squyres ’83
Charlie Stimson ’83
of those things cost $30 million?
A 23-year-old Matagorda County
woman was recently awarded $30 mil
lion in an out-of-court settlement for
the deaths of her husband and two chil
dren in a trailer fire.
The woman’s suit claimed Enterprise
Products Co., a gas refinery, and Par-
agas Inc., which distributes propane,
were responsible for a fire that killed
her husband and her two children in
their trailer house in 1982. The accident
was blamed on failure to odorize the gas
as required by state law.
I know you can’t put a value on a hu
man life. I know you can’t say the deaths
of her husband and her t\Vo children
are worth a specific amou nt of money.
I know the woman has suffered from
the deaths of her husband and* the two
children.
But $30 million worth?
The case was settled out of court. The
defendants didn’t try to contest the suit.
They implied they might have been at
fault in some way and probably couldn’t
win the suit if they tried. The attorneys
for the two companies said the reason
they settled out of court was to save
their clients any additional legal fees.
But if someone was suing you for $30
million, wouldn’t you at least put up
some argument?
The lawyer for the woman said she
had suffered “lots of difficulties” since
the accident.
But $30 million worth of difficulties?
The woman wasn’t physically hurt in
the accident. She didn’t suffer any crip
pling injuries. Judging from the article
she still seems to be able to function in a
normal fashion. In fact, after the verdict
was given, the woman couldn’t be
reached for comment because she was
shopping for a pickup truck.
A pickup truck? The woman will be
awarded $20,000 a month for the next
30 years and she’s shopping for a
pickup truck?
The lawyer for the woman said the
money to pay the settlement will come
from the insurance policies for the com
panies. He added that both companies
are each worth hundreds of millions of
dollars. So it can be assumed the de
fend nts and their respective insurance
companies can handle the settlement.
How do you think the insurance com
panies are going to be able to pay the
settlement? The companies will charge a
higher premium to the gas companies.
How will the gas companies be able to
pay this higher premium? They will
charge the consumers more money.
Nice little circle, huh? A nice $30 million
circle.
to pay court costs or did the lawyei
charge a flat rate out of the goodm
of his heart?
I can understand suing for that
amount of money if the woman was
injured in the accident and required
expensive medical treatment for the
rest of her life. I can understand if the
woman required the money for area
son other just to perhaps see hon
much she could get. I can understand
if she had sued for a lesser amount to
pay for the difficulties she suffered
year b
System
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been s
r
But what is she going to do withaiif
that money?
I know it’s everyone’s right to sueij
they want. There are legitimate real
sons to sue. But so many people atti
abusing the right to sue for the faultolj
others, it’s hurting everyone in thet
end. Insurance companies will chargr
higher premiums to the companies
the companies will pass the cost tothe !
consumers.
vio
mil
qui
<k)
ta
dq
an.
I’m not against the woman’s rightio
sue for “lots of difficulties” for tht
death of her husband and children
She certainly had the right and priv
ilege.
But $30 million worth?
Cheryl Clark is a senior journalism
major and a columnist for The Balts!'
The lawyer the woman hired spe
cializes in wrongful death and per
sonal injury lawsuits. How much is the
lawyer going to receive for his legal
fees? Does he get a percentage of the
settlement or do the defendants have
into on campus the next day. And it was
Joe who quietly walked me onto Kyle
Field’s 50-yard line and told me I was
standing in the center of the universe.
Joe was killed in a two-jeep accident
during Annual Training at Ft. Hood
this summer, as all of his friends know.
There were many people at his funeral
in Dallas, memorial services by fellow
members of the Corps at Ft. Riley, Kan
sas and Quantico, Virginia, and two me
morial services at Ft. Hood, one by his
unit and one by mine, as he was a mem
ber of our unit until he transferred.
And there were many who could not at
tend that wished to.
(“Love” is the closest I can come to ex
plain what feelings he held here because
emotions can’t bring the words. By
themselves they’re simply not enough.)
Somewhere through the tears, his
mother and I figured that he couldn’t
have cared more, couldn’t have done or
felt more for this school and those who
touched his life than he did.
To tell you the truth it hurts to realize
I won’t see him this Fall because it’s just
so hard to imagine him not being here.
And to those who don’t know yet or
can’t feel what this place is all about, I
say to you a body knows limits, but a
heart, a mind, and a spirit do not know
boundries or restraints.
Why is belief in God so tied to this is
sue? Because “the fear (reverence) of
the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”
and “the Lord gives wisdom; from His
mouth come knowledge and under
standing” (Proverbs 1:7 and 2:6).
Joseph Walker Swinney was a good
friend of mine as he was to others here.
It was Joe and another officer (and Ag
gie grad) from my National Guard unit
that insisted on the night we had off
from Annual Training last summer we
come to College Station where I got my
first tour of the campus at 2:30 a.m.
I had to question “Why?”, and were it
not for the strength of his family I
would not understand what I am sup
posed to get from this. All of us paid what
respect we could because we understood
his feelings for ourselves and everything
around him. We can all tell you stories
that are only bits and pieces of his ded
ication to it all.
That’s what I think he would want me
to see. I told someone the other day I
didn’t know what all of the hooplah
about A&M was, and I hope if she is
reading this she knows I was wrong.
The Bible clearly states that God in-
It was Joe that proudly and without
mistake or hesitation of name intro
duced me to practically everyone we ran
He did not simply come here to earn
a degree, to get a job, and then to grow
old in front of the weekend reruns on
television. The only way to explain what
he did was that he came here and loved
this school as his father before him.
Being a transfer student last spring
semester, I have yet to attend an Aggie
game or Midnight Yell Practice. But I
have seen what this place means with an
unbridled conviction. A heart I still hear
beating, a mind I know still thinks of to
morrows, and the spirit I hear rustling
the very tree branches I walk under re
minds me. ^
Mike Pryor
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Pr
nr
The Battalion Editorial Board
Kellie Dworaczyk, Editor
Kay Mallett, John Hallett, News Editors
Loren Stelfy, Opinion Pagje Editor
Sarah Oates, City Editor
Karen Bloch, Acting City Editor
Travis Tingle, Sports Editor
The Battalion Staff
Assistant City Editor
Katherine Hurt
Assistant News Editors
Cathie Anderson, Trent Leopold
Entertainment Editors
Cathy Riely, Walter Smith
Staff Writers Karen Bloch,
Ed Cassavoy, Jerry Oslin,
Brian Pearson
Copy Editor Trent Leopold
Make-up Editor Ed Cassavov,
Columnists Cheryl Clart,
Karl Pallmeyer
Photographers Greg Bailey,
Anthony Casper
Editorial Policy
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operated as a community service to Texas A&M amt
Bryan-College Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the
Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessarily rep
resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, facJlf
or the Board of Regents.
The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper tot
students in reporting, editing and photography classes
within the Department of Communications.
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